A Letter from the Embryologist
I know you are probably scared, and I know you are likely confused. How do I know this? Because A LOT of patients tell me this, so I can tell you, you are not alone.
A Letter from the Embryologist
I’m not going to lie, I have no idea how your previous weeks of injections, blood tests, internal scans and doctor’s appointments have gone. I think about this when I see each and every one of you. I wonder how you can get through it and if you actually get used to it. I wonder if I ever could have done it myself. I feel your pain because I know how it feels to long for a baby and be completely convinced it may never happen.
I know how it feels to stare at a pregnancy test for what seems like hours and then throw it in the bin only to dig it out several times over the next few hours. I know how it feels to get months of negative tests and then finally get pregnant and get to the ultrasound only to hear ‘I’m sorry but it doesn’t have a heartbeat’. I’m one of the lucky ones, I know. I have 2 miracles now and its being a mother that has made me go out on this journey to help people further than I can in the laboratory and urge me to tell you this.
I really feel for each and every one of you, and I will share tears with you, if you need me to, I will sit in silence with you. You may have a hundred questions for me or may be so confused you don’t know where to start. One thing you need to know - the questions you have are the same questions everyone else has and you do not need to be scared to ask.
Some basic advice that patients find helpful is the following:
Don’t become focused on embryo quality, poor embryos make babies too
You will likely lose a lot of eggs and embryos along the way. It’s actually common to only have 50% of your eggs fertilized and then out of those only get a few make it to day 3 and then only a portion of those make it to a blastocyst on day 5
Prepare for the unexpected. Your success depends on multiple factors such as stimulation, fertilization, embryo development, endometrial development and a lot of patients don’t realize this at the beginning.
HOWEVER please know...
If you get poor results one cycle, you may actually do way better next time as there are so many things that can be changed
If you are freaked out and overwhelmed commencing treatment, know that behind the scenes, we see so many patients get pregnant quickly.
I’ve seen patients get failed fertilization one cycle and then get pregnant the next cycle. I’ve seen patients devastated to only get one egg collected, and then get pregnant with that one egg.
The person you are when you walk through those doors to the fertility clinic is not the same person you will be when you walk out those doors, whether you get pregnant or not. Whatever the end of your journey is, it’s going the be ok. If it is not okay, it is not the end.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.
